Eventide
by yesterdayslorrae
Summary: Set five years after the completion of Gravity. Leighton Summer is older, questionably wiser and still living a double life. Trying hard to make the most of both lives is difficult. With the danger seemly passed she has made choices that she's not sure are right. But now everything is going to change. Will Leighton get her happily ever after?
1. Chapter 1

_**Eventide**_

I always assumed that a fairytale love would be exempt from all the things a regular love was prone to. I never thought that there would be blindness, errors and small betrayals. I never thought it would die from weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings. But as Anaïs Nin said, love never dies a natural death.

I opened the door of my Upper East Side apartment and fell in love. Just like I did every time I opened the door. It was a small studio, cozy, covered in books and mis-matched furniture but it was beautiful and it was mine. It was a little bit smaller than my other Upper East Side apartment, which was only a block away, but also another world away. Literally.

For the past seven years I had been living a dual life. I had been going to sleep in one life and then as soon as my eyes were closed I would wake up again, in another life. It had been going on for so long now I could barely remember which one was my original life. I knew though. This life was not my real life. This was the life where the characters of a book walked off the pages and into reality. It was a world with vampires, magic and werewolves. It was a world where Stephanie Meyer's _Twilight_ would have played out. If it wasn't for me.

I continued to amaze myself how little I thought about Stephanie Meyer's _Twilight_ anymore. It had never really played out that way from the beginning anyway, and now, it was so far past the end of the book. It was just "happily ever after". It was basically an ordinary life.

I put my bags down on the kitchen counter and pulled out a bottle of wine from the fridge and poured myself a glass. I was celebrating. The clothing line that I had been pouring my heart, soul and time into for the past five years had been picked up by a department store. It was going to be everywhere. It was a dream come true. I looked around my empty apartment and sighed. Just as I thought my mind might stray to somewhere not safe my computer came to life with an incoming Skype call.

I went to the computer and smiled. It was Bella.

"Leighton!" She smiled, leaning in to the camera. "Can you see me?" She asked. I laughed as she moved in and out of the camera. Someone said something from the other room and a light came on, illuminating her.

She looked wonderful, as always. Her skin was glowing; her hair was long and flowing down her back. She looked like she might even have a bit of a tan. She looked happy and wonderfully human.

The hardest thing that I ever had to do, or decide to do, was whether or not to tell Edward and Bella that they could have children. To everyone else it would have seemed like a crazy thing to tell them. They would get pregnant on their honeymoon and have a beautiful baby girl. But it wasn't that easy for me, in fact, them having a baby would have been terrible for me. That baby would have been the imprint of Jacob Black. I loved him. The thought of him being with someone else made my skin crawl.

I was young. I did the selfish thing. I could still remember sitting them down and telling them that somehow, they could still have children. I've never seen anyone more terrified then Edward looked. Bella had taken it all in her stride like she did everything. They could have children but she wouldn't survive the birth and would have to be turned into a vampire.

I had thought that they would never get pregnant. That Edward would be careful. Instead, I was surprised that they decided to hold off. They would maybe have a baby one day, but Bella wanted to wait a little bit. Now she was still human.

"That's better," Bella smiled, leaning forward and grabbing her glass of wine. It was our tradition. Wine time, every Friday night. "So, CONGRATULATONS!"

She smiled and it was so genuine that I had to smile back. If there was anyone who knew how hard I had worked it was Bella.

"Thanks!" I smiled. "It feels so great."

"I'll tell you what, I wish I didn't pick you to be my only friend. You're being too successful. You're making me look bad. I swear, Charlie has told just about everyone about you, he's so proud. People think you are his only daughter. He never mentions me!"

I laughed at this. Charlie had become as much of a father as anyone could after my mum had died. I think having two young women around all the time had nearly sent him crazy. But he loved us. I loved him. I felt terrible that I hadn't seen him since he came to have Christmas in New York – almost five months ago. I wondered if I could convince him to come visit again.

"Bella, please do not try to pretend like Charlie has never mentioned you graduating from Duke _at the top of your class_. He told me about ten time and I was there to see it!" We laughed. It was a nice moment to see Bella succeed and be happy with herself as a human. Of course, Edward was there with her. Well, not on the stage, since it was outside and that would have caused a spectacle, but he studied with her. I think even he was surprised at how well she was taking to being human. He was in second place though, and he doesn't need to sleep and he still couldn't out study her.

"Where are you?' I asked, trying to make out the room behind her. It definitely wasn't their house in Alaska. Bella hesitated for the smallest moment.

"We moved," she said sheepishly. I felt a flare of worry knot inside me. Although Bella being human was the most exciting thing to me, it was also a danger. The Volturi wanted her to be a vampire and they wanted it five years ago. It resulted in them moving around a lot.

"What happened? Did they find you?" I whispered. I felt the skin on the back of my neck prickle.

"No, no! It was nothing like that. Edward was just being over protective – as usual! I think they've forgotten about us, or just assumed that I've died or something to be honest."

She shrugged, but I wasn't convinced. There was something she wasn't telling me.

"Bella…." I said, raising an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Get Edward in there!" I said in my best no-nonsense voice.

"Leighton, that's totally unnecessary. I would tell you if there was anything wrong! We're supposed to be celebrating the hottest new fashion designer in the USA – not talking about this again!" She said, slightly flustered. She blushed and I knew she was hiding something. She was a terrible liar.

"Edward, get in here!" I yelled, though it wasn't necessary. I knew that he would be able to hear me from wherever he was in the house – or the town really.

Like clockwork, Edward appear onscreen. Effortlessly scooping Bella up and sitting her on his lap so they both fit on the screen.

"Leighton," he said warmly and Bella whispered at him angrily. He whispered something back and she soften and little. She sighed.

"Hi Edward. Which one of you are going to tell me what's going on?" I asked slowly. Bella looked guilty.

"Leigh, I wanted to tell you this in person but we couldn't make it to New York and you've been so busy. But Edward and I have been talking and we think its time."

She looked at me intently and I knew what she meant. I felt my stomach clench and my heartbreak and myself fill with joy. I didn't move. I didn't know what to say.

"I'm 25 in September! And you and Jacob haven't been together for a long time…" her eyes dropped slightly and I knew what she was saying. I had told her what it would mean for Jacob and me for her and Edward to have a baby. Jacob and I went our separate ways almost four years ago.

"Are you kidding!? This is amazing! A baby is just what we need, we were getting way too boring!" I forced myself to say it, though I didn't know what I was feeling.

I got through my days by not thinking about Jacob. I was hard to love someone as much as I had loved him, and he me and walk away from that without having issues. But there was more to making a relationship work than love. In the end, I wanted to be a designer and have a life that I wanted to live. I wanted Jacob in that so badly but my work took me away from Forks and Jacob wouldn't go with me. And then one day you realize that you haven't spoken in a week and you have nothing to talk about when you do. He wanted me to stay in Forks with him. That was where our memories were and those memories filled him with joy, they reminded him of people he had lost. The same places only filled me with sadness. I couldn't even remember if we ever actually told each other it was over, one day we just stopped called and texting. I wanted him to be happy. Maybe this was the right time to have Renesme.

Bella looked at me uncertainly, but then smiled. "Yeah, there has been nothing going on!" then more quietly. "I really love you so much Leigh, you're the sister I never had. I know this will still be hard for you."

"Don't even think about me! You deserve this, your family and your forever. You're going to be a vampire pretty soon, which is so weird. I hope you're going to name this kid after me!"

"It is so _weird_, right. I can't wait though. I want you to be here for the whole thing. You'll be able to help too, since you know so much about it. We want you here straight away. Please say you'll come."

I thought for a moment, now that the line was picked up I could work away for a few months. I would love to spend some time with the Cullens. Alice and Rosalie had helped me so much with my line an I knew that one of the main reasons it was picked up was because of Rosalie modeling for me.

"Of course I'll be there! You will have to tell me where to go though, since I can never keep up with all your addresses!"

Bella looked at her hands, then back at me apologetically. "Well Leighton, we're actually back in Forks."

I felt the air leave my lungs. I had been tricked and I knew it. The one place I now had to go was the place I avoided at all costs.

"I'm really sorry Leighton. I know it's hard for you here. We just wanted to be near Charlie."

I nodded. That made sense. I pulled myself together. I could just lay low. No one would even have to know I was in town.

"It's OK. If you guys start trying now you'll be pregnant by the time I get there." I laughed but it sounded hollow.

We ended the call and I sat in the quiet for a long time.

The Jacob floodgate had opened and there was only one thing left for me to do. I went to my bookshelf and pulled out a small timber box. It had hand carved pictures of trees and a large wolf. I opened it with shaking hands. Inside was a small stack of photos.

I reached out and touched the photo, my fingers gliding over the boy in the picture. He was all lopsided smiled and huge biceps. He would be a man now. He would be stranger to me.

I turned to the next photo, my mother. Though technically she was only in my life for such a small time my love for her had been unwavering, my grief for her still as deep as the ocean. Still, after five years it was easier to not think about her then to let her cross my mind and have my heart break. The photos kept coming and soon I was wracked with silent tears. Embry, Jacob, my mum, Charlie, the wolf pack. The people who make a permanent mark on you life. I loved them so much. In a way that was subtle and indescribable. I wished that they fitted into my life better. Though I was happy, I wondered if I had made the right choices. Nobody ever told me that it was danger that posed you with the hardest choices, it was simply growing up and making a life for yourself.

I fell asleep lying on my lounge, wondering what I would do if I saw Jacob Black again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_A/N - Sorry I have been incredibly slack with the updates. I will try harder. I definitely intend to finish this up. Thank you for the consent reviews. They remind me to pick up my game, so thank you. _

_I'm also now on Wattpad with an original fiction. Username: LorraeStephens. Work: The Kind. _

_Look me up. _

* * *

><p><em>Song – "Charlie Boy" – The Lumineers <em>

* * *

><p><em>"If you're happy in a dream, does that count?"<em>

― Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

* * *

><p>"So… How is it?" I asked into my phone. I could hear laughter and music in the background. "Wait, are you at your first college party?" I asked.<p>

"It's not my first college party, Leighton." Eleanor laughed.

"Any cute guys?" I asked mischievously. I could feel Eleanor rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, there are a few." She smiled. I knew that she could get whichever one she wanted. She had grown into such a gorgeous women that I had trouble containing my jealousy at my complete lack of luck when it came to the gene pool. "What are you doing tonight anyway?"

"Just getting ready to go out with the girls too. I'll write it off as staff training." I laughed. Even though a major retailer hadn't picked up my line yet it was still experiencing moderate success with small boutiques and independent stores. I had a small staff of three women and life was, basically, wonderful.

One day, a long time ago now, I decided that I wasn't going to wither away in this life, my first life. I was lucky, gifted really, with the opportunity to live life twice and I didn't want to squander it. I also didn't want to be left with a shell of a life if one day I stopped going to my second life. What if one night I fell asleep and had a regular dream? I wanted to have something positive and worth living for here. If I didn't, I didn't know what I would do if I ever stopped going to my alternate universe.

"Have you called mum lately? She said you hadn't called her in a while when I spoke to her last."

I paused for a moment. I couldn't remember the last time I had spoken to my mother. Something strange had happened to me, as I grew older. Our relationship didn't quite survive the transition from child-mother relationship to adult-adult relationship. She had been exceptionally disapproving of my starting my own line and leaving my job. I guess I couldn't blame her, for wanting me to have a steady job and an easier life, but something inside me had cried that she didn't believe in me. We didn't talk much anymore.

"I'll call her soon," I promised, though I wasn't sure I would keep it. We ended the call with wishing each other a good night – and good luck, if we happen to spot any eligible bachelors. I was excited for a fun night.

My flight arrived in Seattle mid-morning, two days after my conversation with Bella. I was tired from a six-hour flight and two days of worry. It was fruitless worrying, I knew, but I still couldn't help but feel nervous for my imminent arrival in Forks. No one knew that I was coming. Bella had promised to keep my arrival a secret from everyone, even Charlie, who was the biggest gossip in Forks when it came to his two girls. Bella was keeping quite tightlipped about her time in Forks. I knew that she was trying to protect me. I wasn't sure what I would rather, to have her not mention it at all or bombard me with Forks so I was ready for what awaited me. Even though I thought she might have seen Jacob she didn't mention him. I wanted to ask, but couldn't.

The Seattle airport was crowed with people and memories. I was hit with a sudden and overwhelming feeling of nostalgia as soon as I entered the terminal. There were reminders of one hundred goodbyes from Jacob and ninety-nine heartfelt returns. It reminded me of the Cullens, too, and a life where things were full of fear and uncertainty. I was glad to reach my rental car.

I looked up quickly as I struggled to get my bags in the car, the skin on the back of my neck prickling. When I looked around there was nobody there. I shivered involuntarily and told myself to get it together. I was unraveling faster then a cheap sweater.

The three-hour drive felt like a hundred hours, and a blink of the eye. One moment I was driving through the city and the next moment buildings were sparse and the trees thick.

I rolled down my windows and let the smell of the pines and the rain flood over me. My nerves were palpable. They were battling with my sense of excitement, at seeing Bella and Edward, the Cullens and Charlie.

I drove through town and headed straight for the Cullens house. Eventually, my nerves won out over my excitement. Everywhere I looked I had a memory, and they all came flooding back to me, painful and precious, sharp as broken glass.

_Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. _His name ran through my head a thousand times. Forks was a small town, I knew. I wondered if I could stay here for a few months and not run into him. That was if he was even still here.

Edward and Bella were living at the cottage that Esme and Carlise built them after their wedding, but I met them at the Cullen house.

Bella was waiting on the front steps for me, beaming. I looked at the steps and remembered Embry. I quickly opened the back door to get my bags.

"Leighton!" Bella yelled, jogging over to me and slipping on some mud.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. She scowled as I gave her my hand.

"How was your trip?" She asked, as I hugged her.

"Long. How was yours?" I asked playfully. She smacked me playfully. I laughed again. It felt so good. So natural.

"Edward is just making the beds. Alice and Jasper will be here tomorrow and Carlisle and Esme next week. I tried to tell them to not come until we were pregnant, I mean, sometimes it takes a while, right?"

She looked at me and I knew that she wanted some answers. I shrugged. I really didn't know anything about how things were going to go now. Instantly I had the horrible thought that they might not be able to get pregnant at all. What if I had ruined it for them? I felt sick.

"Do I look like a doctor to you?" I responded. "Ask Carlisle!"

"I have. He didn't know. He said to ask you!"

I leant over and touched Bella's belly. It was flat as always. "Is there anyone in there?" I asked.

Bella laughed. "I don't think there is. But it isn't because a lack of trying." She winked.

"That's disgusting." I said dryly.

Suddenly we found ourselves looking at the house. I knew we were both feeling the same things. After all, Bella and I had gone through it all together.

"It's weird to be back, isn't it." She said quietly.

"It is," I agreed.

Suddenly, Edward appeared before me. Scooping me into a hug. Uncomfortable, as he felt like he was made of stone and didn't realize how strong he was.

"Leighton," he said warmly, his skin sparkling as the sun poked out from behind a cloud.

"You took your time making those beds." Bella said, taking his hand. "I could have done it faster. You call yourself a vampire." She laughed.

I envied them. Truly, the ugly parts of my soul deeply resented them. If only because I knew that Edward would have followed Bella to the ends of the earth and Jacob could not leave his pack for me. I pushed my bitterness to the side. Soon, it all wouldn't matter anymore. Jacob would have someone, they would live together forever, with Edward and Bella and the Cullens. One day I would be nothing but a faded memory to them.

As I followed them into the house I stopped for a moment at the top of the steps, thinking of sitting there with Embry. I closed my eyes and thought that I might have been able to remember what he smelt like. I said a silent prayer for him and hoped he wouldn't have been horrified at the person that I'd become.


End file.
